Tuesday 6 August 2013

Stonehenge bones exhibit druid's legal bid

A public body has been served legal papers by a druid who wants to prevent it putting human remains on display at Stonehenge.

King Arthur Pendragon has criticised English Heritage for the "macabre manner" it plans to display "ancestral remains" at a new visitor centre.
In May, King Arthur Pendragon lost a
separate legal bid to have bones, found in 2008, reburied

English Heritage said: "Museum visitors are comfortable with, and often expect to see, human remains."

In May, he lost a separate legal bid to have bones, found in 2008, reburied.

Mr Pendragon wants fake, rather than real, human remains to be used and is seeking a court and interim order to prevent English Heritage from putting the bones on display.

The £27m scheme to build a new visitor centre and close the road alongside the ancient monument is due to be completed by the end of the year.

Mr Pendragon said: "Proceedings are sought in the Royal Courts of Justice to prohibit the exhibition of skeleton and cremated human remains taken from the environs of Stonehenge by English Heritage in their new visitors centre, due to open later this year."
Royal line
In a previous statement, English Heritage said: "The remains of three human burials found in the landscape will be displayed with ample explanation along with archaeological objects, providing visitors with a direct connection to the people who lived and worked there."

In an earlier legal bid, Mr Pendragon claimed the cremated remains of more than 40 bodies, thought to be at least 5,000 years old and which were removed from a burial site at Stonehenge in 2008, were the remains of members of the royal line and he wanted them re-interred.

He lost a High Court bid to have those bones reburied in 2011 and permission to take the case to a full judicial review was refused in May.

English Heritage said the remains it plans to display are not from the 2008 excavation and their "presentation, treatment and storage" would follow strict UK guidelines.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-23545168

Stonehenge Tour Guide

Monday 29 July 2013

Stonehenge and the Ice Age: Stonehenge incomplete

Stonehenge and the Ice Age: Stonehenge incomplete: You know that big book called "Stonehenge Complete"?  Well, maybe there should be another now, taking account of some modern th...

Thursday 4 July 2013

National Trust Stonehenge Landscape Events - Summer 2013


Ancient ceremonial landscape of great archaeological and wildlife interest

Within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, the National Trust manages 827 hectares (2,100 acres) of downland surrounding the famous stone circle.
Walking across the grassland, visitors can discover other prehistoric monuments, including the Avenue and King Barrow Ridge with its Bronze Age burial mounds.
Nearby, Winterbourne Stoke Barrows is another fascinating example of a prehistoric cemetery. While Durrington Walls hides the remains of a Neolithic village.
The best approach to the famous stone circle is across Normanton Down, a round barrow cemetery dates from around 2600 to 1600BC. Must be booked in advance
 
Wings over Stonehenge
 
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 4 dates between 17 July 2013 and 19 October 2013

Price: Adult £5, Child £0 (under 16)

Walk in the slipstream of the early pioneer military aviators at Larkhill. See where the Bristol Boxkite made its first flight in 1910 and

where the first British military aeroplane unit was formed in 1911. These walks will cover how aviation developed on Lark Hill from

1909-1914 and how military aviation 'took off'around Stonehenge from 1914-1918. These walks aim to recreate the period with

contemporary photographs and maps and include viewing the early hangars and crash sites.

Booking Essential

Summer archaeology walk
Stonehenge Landscape
 
Dates: 5 dates between 6 July 2013 and 31 August 2013

Price: Adult £5, Child £0 (under 16)

Explore the downs in summer with an afternoon walk up on the downs to visit the ancient archaeology and varied wildlife of the

Stonehenge World Heritage Site. On this three mile walk with views of the Stone Circle, we'll visit ancient earthworks that have

revealed much about the people who once lived and celebrated here. Talking points include the Cursus, the many and varied barrows,

an ancient avenue connecting ceremonial centres, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

Booking Essential

Autumn archaeology walk
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 5 dates between 14 September 2013 and 9 November 2013

Price: Adult £5, Child £0 (under 16)

Explore the downs in autumn with an afternoon walk up on the downs to visit the ancient archaeology and varied wildlife of the

Stonehenge World Heritage Site. On this three mile walk with views of the Stone Circle, we'll visit ancient earthworks that have

revealed much about the people who once lived and celebrated here. Talking points include the Cursus, the many and varied barrows,

an ancient avenue connecting ceremonial centres, and a rich diversity of wildlife.

Booking Essential

Geocaching - give it a go!
 
 
Stonehenge Landscape
 
 
Dates: 15 August 2013 2:00pm and 1 November 2013 2:00pm

Price: All Tickets £3

Never tried geocaching before? You're missing out on the fun! Try your hand at treasure hunting - we'll lend you a GPS device for the

afternoon. Geocaching is about finding 'caches' that have been hidden by other 'geocachers' - some, like ours, include small toys and

trinkets. Bring something with you to swap for something from a cache!

Booking Essential

Really wild bug hunt
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 9 August 2013, 10 August 2013 and 11 August 2013

Price: Child £3 (under 16)

Come with us on a walk through the Stonehenge landscape for a hunt in Seven Barrows Field. Farmed for crops not so long ago, the

field is now chalk grassland - and full of minibeasts! Hunt for bugs and find out about the amazing lives they lead.

Booking Essential
 
 
 
 
Walkies around Stonehenge
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 7 September 2013, 5 October 2013 and 30 October 2013

Price: Adult £5

Bring your four legged friends with you for a ramble around the Stonehenge landscape. Find out about the people who built these

ancient monuments, and the wildlife that can be found here today.

Booking Essential

Go wild! with 50 Things
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 7 dates between 31 July 2013 and 4 November 2013

Price: Adult £0, Child £4 (under 16)

Get stuck in and active with the National Trust's 50 Things challenge - bug hunting, kite flying, tree climbing and birdwatching are just

some of the activities to tick off your list today!

Booking Essential

Durrington Walls to Stonehenge... and back again!
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 22 September 2013 10:30am

Price: Adult £7.50, Child £0 (under 16)

Explore the Stonehenge World Heritage Site and especially the close connections between the two great henge monuments of

Durrington Walls and Stonehenge. Your guide will take you on a circuit of around 6 miles over the downs, also exploring some of the

less visited monuments that together form the Stonehenge World Heritage Site.

Booking Essential

Wildlife wonders of Stonehenge
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 20 July 2013 8:00am and 8 September 2013 10:00am

Price: Adult £6.50 (includes hot drink and cake), Child £0 (under 16)

Join the RSPB's experts to explore the ancient wonder and summer wildlife of King Barrow Ridge, on a family friendly walk of around

two miles.

Booking Essential

Stargazing and storytelling, meteors and myths
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 10 August 2013 8:30pm

Price: Adult £8, Child £3 (under 16)

Join our friendly team of astronomers for an adventure exploring the night sky with telescopes, alongside legends told by our own

starry storyteller, activities, and toasting marshmallows. As well as learning about the constellations, we hope the season's meteor

shower will be putting on a show! Telescopes and expertise are provided by Chipping Norton Amateur Astronomy Group, storytelling

with Lizzie Bryant.

Booking Essential

Hidden history: Nelson and the Nile Clumps
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 1 August 2013 10:30am

Price: Adult £5, Child £0 (under 16)

On the 216th anniversary of the Battle of the Nile, explore the downs to discover some surprising hidden histories. This circular walk

around the archaeologically rich downs with views of the Stone Circle offers a rare chance to see the Nile Clumps up close along the

way. These fine clumps of beech trees are said to commemorate Nelson's greatest victory.

Booking Essential



 
 
 
Hidden history: Stonehenge barrows
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 8 September 2013 2:00pm and 20 October 2013 10:30am

Price: Adult £2, Child £0 (under 16)

Find out about some of the Bronze Age people whose remains lie buried in the barrows around the Stonehenge landscape. This is a

gentle stroll to the Cursus Barrows and back, of less than a mile overall.

Booking Essential

Walk with an archaeologist: Durrington Walls and Stonehenge
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 23 July 2013 10:00am

Price: All Tickets £20

Join Neolithic expert and National Trust archaeologist Dr. Nick Snashall for a day in the Stonehenge landscape to explore the

relationship between Stonehenge and the great henge of Durrington Walls. We'll be walking around five and a half miles.

Booking Essential

Walk with an archaeologist: Ancient ways

Stonehenge Landscape

Dates: 26 September 2013 10:00am

Price: All Tickets £15

Join Neolithic expert and National Trust archaeologist Dr. Nick Snashall on this half day exploration of the Stonehenge landscape and

walk in the footsteps of the ancients along the routes of the Great Cursus and the Stonehenge Avenue. Plus, find out about the latest

exciting discoveries including recent geophysical research. We'll be walking around four miles.

Booking Essential

Stonehenge Games
Stonehenge Landscape
Dates: 22 August 2013 1:00pm

Price: Child £3 (under 16)

Can you win the 100 inch dash, throw a discus, or knock down 'Stonehenge'? Come along and see if you can win gold at our family

friendly games. There are lots of games to part in for all ages and ability - even parents can join in too! Accompanying adults free.
 

Stonehenge Tour Guide